PETOSKEY — North Country Community Mental Health (NCCMH) is planning multiple events and activities to raise awareness for Mental Health Month in May.
This year’s theme is ‘Where to start: Mental health in a changing world’. This theme is meant to remind you that dealing with life’s pressures can be tough and everyone has the right to feel supported and ask for help when they need it.
“Mental health is essential to everyone’s overall health and well-being, and mental illness is common and treatable,” said NCCMH Chief Executive Officer Brian Babbitt. “While society is becoming more comfortable discussing mental health, it can still be difficult to know where to start when it comes to how to protect your own health.”
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NCCMH is planning the following activities in May.
- Color Fun Run & Walk: The 24th Annual Splash of Color Fun Run & Walk for Mental Health Awareness will be held on Saturday, May 18th at Festival Place Shelter in Petoskey. A fun run is a 5K course with colorful checkpoints. For those not running a 5K, there will also be a mental health awareness walk. The run starts at 10am and the walk starts at 10:30am. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Client Special Needs Fund. The cost is $10 per person. Register at eventsbrite.com or tinyurl.com/sczbc7rz or from 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
- Creative writing and art display: From May 1st to May 31st, people can view completed creative writing developed on Write It! Author workshop at Petoskey District Library in April.
- Free Virtual Training on Mental Health First Aid for the Community: Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) classes will be held twice in May. May 2 and 3, and May 6 and 17, both from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Adult MHFA classes are May 14 and 15 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 3 p.m. The public is invited to register at tinyurl.com/39huxa9f or tinyurl.com/4fw5prdd.
- #Tools4Resilience Virtual Education Series: Every Tuesday and Wednesday in May from 12:00pm to 1:00pm, NCCMH, in collaboration with Northern Lakes CMH, will offer virtual educational programs on a variety of mental health/well-being topics. Register for one or all talks at Forms.office.com/r/6fYkHuQMdU. Topics include social media and mental health, protecting yourself online with IT professionals, stories of hope and recovery, and more.
- free community movies: Free screenings of the movie “Skid Row Marathon” will be held on Tuesday, May 21st at 1:00 pm at the Brutus Friendship Center and on Tuesday, May 28th at the Petoskey Friendship Center. Both venues will also feature short presentations on mental health and aging following the film.
- Free community events for families: Staff at NCCMH’s six community-based clinics are planning a series of fun and informative events and activities to support various aspects of mental health and well-being. In Petoskey, staff will host a “Grow Through What You Go Through” event at Bear River Shelter Park on Tuesday, May 21 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, where participants will engage in self-care activities while reconnecting with nature. Learn about and promote mental health practices. In Cheboygan, a “Recipes for Mental Health” event will be held at the North Country Cheboygan office on Wednesday, May 15th from 1-4:30 p.m., where a wellness “chef” will assist visitors. Help them complete their “plates” of fun, interactive activities. Resilience and health. In Charlevoix, guests will find activities and information about health and balance at the “Finding Mental Health and Balance in a Digital World” event on Thursday, May 23, from 1pm to 4pm at the Charlevoix Public Library. You can visit the different booths we have to offer. , with or without digital support. At Gaylord, staff will host a ‘Mental Health on Main’ event on Thursday, May 23rd from 1pm to 4pm in the Pavilion on Court, highlighting how modern life impacts mental health. We will be conducting activities aimed at learning more about mental health issues, building a coping toolbox, and advocating for better mental health. The health of yourself, your friends and family, and your community.
- 21 day stigma challenge: Northwest Community Health Innovation Regional Behavioral Health Initiative launches 21-day Stigma Challenge on May 1st. This challenge aims to educate residents and stakeholders from all walks of life about the negative effects of stigma on mental illness and substance use disorders. Recognize it and give you the tools to fight it. Anyone can participate by signing up at tinyurl.com/bdfwhzpv.
NCCMH treats residents of Antrim, Charlevoix, Sheboygan, Emmett, Kalkaska, and Otsego Counties with severe mental illness, severe emotional problems, or intellectual/developmental disabilities, including those with co-occurring substance use disorders. We provide services to. To learn more about NCCMH, we encourage you to visit norcocmh.org or call (877) 470-7130 to access our services.
